This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you take care of your mental health when the violence and horrors of racial injustice and bigotry along with the ongoing unknowns of COVID-19 may heighten your feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
The study findings aren’t necessarily wrong, but there were concerns with the data used for the analysis.
And it’s not because fewer people are having heart attacks.
Data from 600 patients in a global research registry shows which rheumatic disease patients face the greatest risks of hospitalization.
By Susan Jara
This new mystery illness tied to COVID-19 is still relatively uncommon in children, but it is important to know what to look for.
By CreakyStaff
These tools can help us better cope with the uncertainty and stress of the ever-changing world around us during COVID-19.
A recent poll of members of CreakyJoints and the Global Healthy Living Foundation shows many people are still staying home as much as possible, even as the rest of the country starts to reopen.
By CreakyStaff
In new ArthritisPower research, patients ranked fatigue, physical function, pain intensity, pain interference, and joint stiffness as the symptoms most important to track.
For many patients, side effects worsened right after the MTX dose.
There are still many questions about these emerging symptoms of COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know and look for when it comes to coronavirus and your skin.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you identify and stop this bad habit so you can more easily cope with the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By CreakyStaff
CreakyJoints and the Global Healthy Living Foundation hosted a Facebook Live Q&A with experts from the U.S. Centers from Disease Control and Prevention and the national physicians group United Rheumatology to discuss the ongoing concerns of the chronic illness patient community.
By Dibs Baer
Jealousy is one of the seven deadly sins, but it feels justified in these, ahem, unprecedented times.
New data on COVID-19 patients from the Boston area adds to our understanding of how people with inflammatory arthritis and rheumatic conditions are affected by coronavirus.
By Kelsey Kloss
Use what you already have on hand to make everyday tasks easier.
Research shows that men with heart failure might have higher levels of ACE2 enzyme compared with women, and that could explain why they are faring worse with coronavirus.
A new study in the medical journal 'The Lancet Rheumatology' adds to the evidence that this inflammation-fighting drug may be worth a try in certain coronavirus patients.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you process your feelings of loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic — from grieving loved ones to an entire way of living.
Sorry, family and friends, but the one thing I miss doing the most while staying at home is my weekly yoga class.
“Patients with lupus — even if they are using [hydroxychloroquine] as baseline therapy — can develop SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 at similar frequency as lupus patients not on antimalarials."
By Dibs Baer
‘No risk, no reward’ doesn’t really hold up in the time of coronavirus. This is not the time to take chances, especially if you have a chronic illness like RA or underlying conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
By CreakyStaff
As state economies continue phase out reopening, people with underlying medical conditions from all throughout the U.S. are very concerned about how to stay healthy.
By CreakyStaff
This piece of art from Jennifer Walker, a patient advocate and artist living with multiple chronic illnesses, depicts the anticipation of loss, pain, and chaos she has felt as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
By Susan Jara
People with gout may be considered in a higher-risk group for potential COVID-19 complications. Follow this guidance to stay safe and healthy through the pandemic.
It's hard to escape these emotions. They leave me unmotivated, lost about what day it is or what time it is. But I know I need to move forward, especially for my son.
These itch relievers can help as part of your overall psoriasis treatment plan.
I personally find that this brain fog can be one of the most difficult — and sometimes embarrassing — parts of living with rheumatoid arthritis.
By Susan Jara
Telemedicine visits are becoming a vital part of rheumatology patient care. Here’s what to know to make them as successful and helpful as possible.
Randomized controlled clinical trials are still needed, but this research is casting doubt about using hydroxychloroquine as a standard COVID-19 treatment.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you be more resilient even when life feels harder than it ever has.
By CreakyStaff
If you’re tired of cooking at home, try adding these simple and nutritious soup recipes to your recipe rotation.
Nutritionists who specialize in gut health share some simple meal ideas for inflammatory bowel disease to eat while you’re in quarantine or trying to grocery shop as little as possible.
File this under “good but preliminary” news.
You might not be able to see our pain — physical and mental — but we sure can feel it.
By CreakyStaff
As a rheumatology patient, you may have many concerns about staying healthy during COVID-19. Use this quick guide as an overview.
By CreakyStaff
This piece of art from Jennifer Walker, a patient advocate and artist living with multiple chronic illnesses, depicts the intimacy and connection that many people are craving while isolating at home.
By Deanna Kizis
This mistake taught me that my psoriatic arthritis is not something to trifle with. It’s a medical condition that I have to be vigilant about, even during COVID-19 (and beyond).
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, could explain why you feel utterly physically and mentally exhausted.
By Kelsey Kloss
These simple objects, which you already have on hand, can make tidying up easier and quicker.
How can you stay safe when wearing a mask feels unbearable? Follow this expert advice.
By Dibs Baer
For my mental health and to stay out of Facebook jail, I decided to stop screaming at others online and write an actual list of my own personal guiding principles going forward.
First, don’t make any changes to your prescriptions on your own. Next, consider what cardiologists are learning about abnormal clotting and COVID-19.
I’m not sure which is better or worse: having a disability that is so visible that people stare at you in the street or one that is so invisible that people don’t believe you and accuse you of faking it.
By CreakyStaff
Zoe Zeerip was just 13 when juvenile arthritis stole away the life she was used to living. Here is a poem that shows her struggle, adjustment, and triumph.
By CreakyStaff
Every day Zoe Zeerip pushes back against a condition that conspires to hold her down. Here, she and her brother Zeppelin discuss why they made this short film to share her story —and her fight.
From grocery shopping and getting dressed to your career path and identity, chronic pain seeps into every aspect of your life.
If spending more time at home is taking a toll on your arthritis pain and stiffness, these tips can help.
By CreakyStaff
‘Life feels chaotic because we have a new normal and won't be able to go back to the way we lived before,’ says Jennifer Walker, a patient advocate and artist living with multiple chronic illnesses.
The official list of signs to watch for has grown beyond fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
By Dibs Baer
The truth: My infusion was a lot less dramatic than I built up in my head.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you process all of the emotions you’re feeling right now to help you fight anxiety and feel more in control.
There are a lot of COVID-19-related stressors we’re all feeling right now. Understanding your Myers-Briggs type may help you manage things a little better.
Coronavirus lockdowns across the world have many similarities but also many differences. Here’s how I see the situation from Melbourne, Australia.
By Tina Donvito
You may feel some pain relief benefits from this flexible tape, which can be applied at home.
Why this immune system activation happens to some people with autoimmune conditions — and why cytokine storm are involved in killing so many COVID-19 patients.
By CreakyStaff
‘This piece is depicting the intense desperation that I feel in trying to keep COVID-19 out of my life,’ says Jennifer Walker, a patient advocate and artist living with multiple chronic illnesses.
By Kelsey Kloss
Here’s how to protect yourself during COVID-19 — even when your loved one can’t stay home.
By Susan Jara
People with ankylosing spondylitis may be considered in a higher-risk group for potential COVID-19 complications. Follow this guidance to stay safe and healthy through the pandemic.
Orchids require special care under the best of circumstances, while dandelions grow everywhere — no matter where they land, or what's happening around them. This metaphor can explain a lot about why those with chronic illness are struggling so much right now.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you interpret the meaning you feel in moments and fragments in order to make it a sacred story.
Here are some key highlights from a new resource aimed at answering some of the key questions rheumatologists and patients are wondering about right now.
It turns out that living with rheumatoid arthritis for more than five years prepared me well for the discomfort and bizarre situation we’re all dealing with now.
‘Abrupt withdrawal of [ACE inhibitors or ARBs] in high-risk patients, including those who have heart failure or have had myocardial infarction, may result in clinical instability and adverse health outcomes.’
By CreakyStaff
It was an agonizing decision to go for my infusion to treat my ankylosing spondylitis, but I’m so relieved I did.
By Susan Jara
People with rheumatoid arthritis may be considered in a higher-risk group for potential COVID-19 complications. Follow this guidance to stay safe and healthy through the pandemic.
Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are being touted as lifesavers, but in some cases, they could cause sudden death.
I started to worry when I would ask my son if he wanted to go play outside and he would say no — because he is hiding from the coronavirus.
By CreakyStaff
‘My whole body is screaming in pain.’ ‘I can't bend my fingers because my knuckles are so swollen.’ ‘I feel exactly like the Tin Man.’ ‘I was in tears today after walking the dog.’
By Charis Hill
It feels like it is constantly on the verge of cracking — but maybe that is actually OK.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you process your emotions and even regain a sense of control.
What people with rheumatic conditions should know about staying safe and healthy when they’re hurting during COVID-19.
By Dibs Baer
Are you a Busy Bee, Know-It-All, or Daredevil? Chances are, you’ll identify with at a few of these.
I fought for testing — and couldn’t get it — but my symptoms were all red flags for coronavirus.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, can help you find comfort when the usual routines that have given solace in the past are not available.
But rheumatic disease patients who develop COVID-19 should plan to take a break from these drugs.
This virus doesn’t have to mean a death sentence for autoimmune patients. You can get sick and still be ok.
By CreakyStaff
Because of nationwide shortages of hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), rheumatology patients are suffering — and some are even scared for their lives.
Three cardiologists take time from the front lines to share information on cardiac complications, recommendations for staying healthy, and reassurances for patients with underlying heart conditions.
By CreakyStaff
Rumors are circulating about a study that shows people with lupus don’t get COVID-19, but emerging data says otherwise.
By Jae Walker
‘You are more prepared and more powerful than you think you are. As a patient or a caregiver, you have skills that are needed right now.’
Maintaining good control over a chronic illness — by eliminating barriers to health care access — could help reduce patients’ need for emergency care that could increase their exposure to COVID-19.
By CreakyStaff
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended weeks ago that everyone wear non-medical grade face masks to help reduce coronavirus transmission, but their widespread use remains inconsistent.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, is a good reminder that there is no correct tried-and-true path to manage a pandemic, or ourselves as we navigate it.
People with asthma and COPD are more at risk for COVID-19 complications because they already have damage to their lung tissue and/or over-reactive airways.
By Susan Jara
Fibromyalgia does not make you immunosuppressed. But managing fibromyalgia does have unique needs and concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Even though I was only on the ventilator for a couple days, it seemed like a lifetime. The memory is still vivid more than five years later.’
Does having IBD make you immunocompromised or at higher risk for COVID-19 complications? Learn more about your risk and how to protect yourself.
By CreakyStaff
‘These preliminary findings suggest that in the United States, persons with underlying health conditions or other recognized risk factors for severe outcomes from respiratory infections appear to be at a higher risk for severe disease from COVID-19 than are persons without these conditions.’
New questions about how to safely obtain, prepare, and consume food are arising during COVID-19, especially for those with suppressed immune systems.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, is a good reminder of a simple way to cope with coronavirus-related stress and anxiety.
There are still going to be newly diagnosed people in desperate need of information about their condition. There are still going to be people who need regular contact with others who understand the complexities of their conditions and medications without judgment. Your group will still be needed; you might just need to change how it runs for a while.
Many different ‘superheroes’ are tirelessly working to help those most vulnerable across the world.
By Susan Jara
When you live with a rheumatic disease, you likely have daily symptoms that can mimic those of COVID-19, including shortness of breath, chronic, dry cough, muscles aches, fatigue, gastrointestinal woes, temperature spikes.
This advice from Laurie Ferguson, PhD, clinical psychologist and Director of Education Development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, is a good reminder of the importance of staying virtually connected with others to fight loneliness and isolation.
Wearing gloves when you’re out running essential errands doesn’t offer the protection you may think it does.
A side effect methotrexate is increased risk of certain infections. This is particularly important to understand right now in light of the current COVID-19 crisis.
A 'Buy American' executive order may put patient lives at risk. Become a volunteer advocate with the 50-State Network to demand continued access to medications for all Americans.
By Charis Hill
Living with ankylosing spondylitis has trained me for paying attention to subtle changes in my symptoms and paying close attention to my body’s clues. Here’s what they told me when I was worried I had coronavirus.
By CreakyStaff
Patients around the country are understandably worried about a prescription drug shortage, as more and more people are stocking up on medications they don't need. We must demand that states protect patients' access to their prescription drug.
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